ATV crash injures 3 boys

The Tribune-Star

Lyons July 08, 2009 11:51 pm

— Two Greene County boys were in surgery Wednesday afternoon after an all-terrain vehicle accident earlier in the day near Lyons. Both are listed in critical condition.
According to an accident report from the Greene County Sheriff’s Department, an ATV driven by Alec Johnson, 13, of Linton, was carrying two passengers, Kenneth Helton, 12, and Caleb Steele, 12, east on Greene County Road 400 South near 800 West, south of Lyons, about 8:13 a.m. when the vehicle lost control, traveled off the south side of the road and struck a utility pole.
According to the report, speed is believed to have been a factor and none of the riders was wearing helmets.
Johnson was treated for minor injuries and released from Greene County General Hospital.
Helton was transported to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis via Lifeline helicopter with back injuries, with Steele taken there by Air Evac with leg injuries.
Methodist staff said both Helton and Steele remained in surgery at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Sgt. Joe Watts of the Indiana State Police said law enforcement officials need parents to help in matters of ATV usage by minors.
“Not only do we rely on the state law, but we rely on the parents to supervise,” he said.
Indiana state law requires drivers to be 16 years old or older with a valid driver’s license to operate ATVs on the road, and even then the vehicles can only cross the road, he said. Counties may vary with regard to specific ordinances, but those ordinances do not supersede state law, he added.
Watts also said ATVs are designed for a specific number of passengers, normally two. “You can haul more than it’s manufactured for,” he said.